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 Thel's Mando Build - OM, Now With Upgades! (Pic Heavy)

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Thel Ihveen


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After a few months of squinting at my design and doodling armor and abusing my Pinterest privileges, I'm finally starting work on my first kit! I'm optimistic about it, and am starting a work log thread to document my descent into chaos progress as I work.

I'm going to tally up the total price of pretty much everything as I go because I'm cheap. If we're using the Holy Triangle of Costuming, as I like to call it, I'll be doing this thing Good and Cheap and taking my sweet time. I have a pretty low budget but high standards, so hopefully it all works out...

I'm going to be using 3mm sintra for the plates, heavy canvas for the vest, and already have the flightsuit started (next post). I'll be buying/outsourcing as little as possible, and stressing durability and modular construction. Just gonna sew/paint/sculpt everything I can. As for the helmet, I'm not sure if I'd like to scratch-build one myself or just order a cast resin one and modify it. Because of the shape of the t-visor I have planned, I'd need to modify anything pre-cast, which scares me as soon as more than $80 is involved...  Including the helmet. If anyone's curious, my design thread (and new helmet design) is in my signature.


As of April 2017, I'm done and will be chronicling upgrades here instead.

COMPLETED KIT: Materials Rundown (Updated 3/31/17)
  • Flightsuit ($10) - DONE
  • Ankle Boots ($10 + $20 alteration) - Taps are on!
  • Kama - DONE!
  • Spats - Needs interfacing DONE($24 for that and sash)
  • Sash - DONE!
  • Vest - DONE...? ($13 leather coat+$2 lining/pattern fabric+$3 buckles)
  • Helmet - Callin it DONE. ($10 dome, $8 buckets, $12 visor)
  • Body Armor/Gaunts - DONE 3mil black sintra, needs slight re-form($20)
  • Gray leather under-gloves ($10)
  • Westar 34 blaster ($5)- DONE
  • Ammo Belt with military surplus pouches galore - my assortment of old leather pouches probably ran me a total of $35, but I've had them for a while and use them with my every-day clothes so I'm not counting them shhhh
  • More fabric paint than I know what to do with...
  • Neck Seal - DONE!
  • Spikes for boots/gloves ($5)
  • Fingerless over-gloves - DONE ($15)
  • Helmet Amp - to modify - $10 + 9v clips from Dad!
  • Apoxie Sculpt - $30
  • An Unholy Amount of Sandpaper and Various Adhesives - $50??? That sounds right.
  • More Paint - Glow and UV for stripes - $15

COMPLETED UPGRADES:
  • Aker Amp - $26
  • Chest Lights Setup - Made with unused EL wire...

PLANNED UPGRADES:
  • Knife/knives from Sacrificial Wooden Ruler
  • SPLIT FLIGHTSUIT! - need zippers/snaps
  • Breaching tool/grenades
  • Bigger boom-stick. Much bigger.
  • Accumulate more shiny trophies....
  • Visible ammo somewhere...
  • I've gotten it into my head to mount a flamethrower to my left gauntlet because I'm just that extra...

Running Cost Total: $313

I'll update this post with more things as I finish them! Until then - be on the lookout for updates, and let me know what you guys think! If I'm messing something up, please tell me! I'm looking forward to hearing your feedback!
 
- Thel

« Last Edit: May 24, 2017, 06:40 PM by Thel Ihveen » Logged

Thel Ihveen


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Flightsuit and Shoes Started
« Reply #1 on: Sep 27, 2016, 09:08 PM »
As promised, actual details about what I'm up to...

I spent last weekend wandering middle-of-nowhere Vermont and hitting up every garage sale I could find. Shevla (the significant other and fellow hopeful Merc) was a huge help and basically egged me on the entire time. I ended up with a reasonably-sized olive drab flightsuit of some kind that I planned to bleach and dye lichen green/gray, but the very next day I stumbled upon this thing:

It's size M, which is a little wide for me and a touch long in the torso. I'm in the process of ripping it in half down the waist seam to add darts and generally chop the thing up. It beats the other one because the color is spot on perfect for my kit - the military-surplus collector we bought it from said he hadn't seen very many in that shade. I got it for a whole $10 - far less than I would have spent on fabric if I drafter my own pattern... It's a medium greenish gray, and unlike the first one I found, the seams aren't flat-felled (thankfully) so it'll be very easy to alter. I will need to add extra fabric for the under-layer of the double-sleeve, but I'll probably dig something usable up next time I'm on home turf.

Here's the pile of pockets and velcro and tabs I picked off the thing today:

The fabric looks really tan in this picture, and a little dark in the first - the worklight I have above my bed just doesn't do anything much justice...

I also found some boots! I was originally going to use one of my many, many pairs of combat-style boots and cover the laces with a removable plate, but I spotted these new-in-box at a garage sale for another $10 - and they were my size! So that's one less problem I have to deal with... They've got an almost-square toe that looks like Boba's shoes, and since I'm not going to use a pair of boots I wear every day, I'm going to adhere things like toe caps and jingly bits directly to the things...

Like I said earlier; I'll have my local cobbler add some plates on the bottoms, and see if I can get ahold of some 1" rings to make the harnesses with. I really want that walking-with-spurs noise, but someone on this thread brought up these metal sole-plates, which I think fit the character a lot better...

Bodysuit updates by this weekend, probably!

Total Spent: $20...

Re: Thel's Mando Build WIP (so many pics)
« Reply #2 on: Sep 27, 2016, 09:16 PM »
Good start vod. Keep Going!  :)

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Reginmund


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Re: Thel's Mando Build WIP (so many pics)
« Reply #3 on: Sep 29, 2016, 01:21 AM »
Sounds like you are off to a good start. A word of caution though. Avoid double posting as it is against forum rules.

Other than a high quality/low cost build, what are your plans? Colors, themes, profession, etc?

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Thel Ihveen


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Re: Thel's Mando Build WIP (so many pics)
« Reply #4 on: Sep 29, 2016, 08:53 AM »
Sounds like you are off to a good start. A word of caution though. Avoid double posting as it is against forum rules.

Other than a high quality/low cost build, what are your plans? Colors, themes, profession, etc?

Aw, man - thanks for calling me on that! I was trying to just keep the first post as a checklist, but now that you point it out, yeah that's double-posting. I sure feel dumb... :-[ I won't be doing it again, for fear of further public shame and more proof that I'm new...

As for concept/colors, I'm going for a gray-black-and-purple kit with lots of kama and some racing stripes. As for profession, I designed the kit with the idea of making a bodyguard/hired muscle who works in an urban environment or aboard traveling ships - no jetpack, close-quarters combat, and no need for camouflage due to the ever-changing backdrop. I have another thread for the planning stages here, but for the sake of clarity here's my big ol' blueprint for the thing...



Now that I've moved to a newer computer, I realize that the colors are a touch off (thanks, monitor settings... :P) and the background on this thing is an awful pepto-bismol pink, which I thought was a nice neutral tan... Sorry in advance to everyone's eyes.

The plates are going to be a bit more dull-marroon-purple and less violet, and I already have my flightsuit - poor monitor performance changed it to almost a khaki in the artistic rendering, but it's gonna be lichen and that's that. However, I'm thinking of changing the edging along the T-visor to just silver instead of that pale purple, which will probably end up reading pink if I try to find a paint that matches. The knees/elbows will probably also end up being silver to match the toecaps on the boots.

All that painting is a long ways off, though - I gotta hurry up and start sewing before I get to the good part! As of last night; flightsuit thoroughly dissected, with the sleeves removed and the whole thing split at the waist. I'm sans-stapler and don't have a duct tape body cast laying around, so fitting may be tricky...

Yolah Hyperion


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Re: Thel's Mando Build WIP (so many pics)
« Reply #5 on: Sep 29, 2016, 11:32 AM »
That concept art is astounding, colors are incredible and plates awesome!!  :o
*Adds to bookmarks* Just waiting on some more progress

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"Mandalorians don't make threats. We make promises."
Mandalore the Preserver

"I have poured blood, sweat, manly tears, months and years, and quite possibly my mortal soul into this armor. Treat it like it is the last child on earth."
-Svik Katora

Reginmund


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Re: Thel's Mando Build WIP (so many pics)
« Reply #6 on: Sep 29, 2016, 11:22 PM »
Aw, man - thanks for calling me on that! I was trying to just keep the first post as a checklist, but now that you point it out, yeah that's double-posting. I sure feel dumb... :-[ I won't be doing it again, for fear of further public shame and more proof that I'm new...

HAHA! No worries! Nearly everyone makes that mistake at least once. Heck, I have seen people double posting about double posting. :laugh:

The kit looks really well thought out, and the artwork so far is looking great! I will definitely be following this build with interest.

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Thel Ihveen


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Flightsuit Finished and Leather Procured!
« Reply #7 on: Oct 08, 2016, 11:56 PM »
Thank you all so much for the encouragement! I'm really looking forward to finishing this kit, and I'm feeling good about my progress so far.

First thing's first; I took my garage-sale coveralls apart almost completely. They were covered in pockets and velcro patches, so I spent a solid afternoon just ripping those. I removed the zipper, split them at the waist seam, and then cut the legs down the sides. I removed the sleeves and used a jacket I had to get the armhole right. I added some back darts to make it fit a little better, then spent forever trying to get the leg seams to line up. Since I have nobody to help me at the moment, I basically have to bend over or put a leg up on a chair to get at the seams, but after a day's work today, I finally did it. After that, I turned the single-sleeves into double-sleeves using some ~fabric witchcraft~ and a pair of t-shirt sleeves I had kicking around. After I got everything reassembled, I chopped the collar up a bit, and now the thing fits perfectly! (Er, almost...)



You can see the darts on the back, and if you compare the shape now to the shape from earlier, you'll see I took it waaaay in and shortened it in the torso by about 6 inches, leaving the sleeves and legs alone. However, my arms and legs are still gangly enough that the sleeves are still short and the legs don't tuck into my boots... I'm super pleased with the double-sleeves, though.

I also got my boots back from the cobbler - after dropping $20 for twice the metal plates, I'm delighted with the sound they make. I won't bother with pictures, but they're just nailed and glued onto the heels, and they do tap when I walk. Not like dance shoes - they more give the impression that there's something metal happening, and scrape on road or asphalt. On carpet, they're undetectable (which is no fun because con floors are mostly carpet) but on smooth concrete, tile, or hard linoleum they sound amazing. Not quite like dress shoes - which is what I was expecting - but unique enough that I think it adds to the costume.

After getting my boots, I made pilgrimage to the local Savers to scrounge for leather, and picked up a great trenchcoat for $13. It's enough to make my half-chaps/spats/boot covers/whatever they are, and then some. Tonight I drafted the patterns for the spats using saran wrap and duct tape, and upon Shevla's suggestion (and 'cause I'm lazy) I'm bringing them up over my knees and down over my ankles so I can attach the knee and boot plates right to them. Not sure how they'll turn out just yet... We'll see!

I also picked up a bit of light cotton material to draft my vest pattern and then line the vest when I get the fabric. That cost me about $2, and it's just enough because I'll be doing an open-sided style with no "modesty panels" to speak of.

That brings my cheap-shebs-beskar'gam total up to $55. We'll see how much I blow on kama fabric next weekend! ;)

Bowfanny


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Re: Thel's Mando Build WIP (so many pics)
« Reply #8 on: Oct 09, 2016, 03:38 AM »
I have to agree the concept art is nice and solid. Translate that to real world proportions is going to be key. Just make sure your back plate is covering at minimum 2/3 of your back, it's hard to tell from the art of your backplate is the black part too or just the 1/3 section of segmented back plates.

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Thel Ihveen


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Re: Thel's Mando Build WIP (so many pics)
« Reply #9 on: Oct 09, 2016, 11:14 AM »
I have to agree the concept art is nice and solid. Translate that to real world proportions is going to be key. Just make sure your back plate is covering at minimum 2/3 of your back, it's hard to tell from the art of your backplate is the black part too or just the 1/3 section of segmented back plates.

I think, after double-checking the CRL's, I probably mis-read them. For some reason I'd had it in my head that they had to cover 2/3 of the vest, so I'll just enlarge/widen the plates when I do my cardboard mockup. It is a little hard to see in the pictures - the black part is vest, the purple is plates.

I also just looked up a picture of the back of Jango's plate and yep, it covers almost the entire vest back. I'll have to make mine wider and change the shape of them slightly. Thanks for catching that - the plate design is super finicky, and I'd hate to have done them wrong and have to start over...

Bowfanny


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Re: Thel's Mando Build WIP (so many pics)
« Reply #10 on: Oct 09, 2016, 01:48 PM »
catching things at this stage is ideal so that we can make sure you're headed in the right direction.

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Thel Ihveen


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Fabric Choices...?
« Reply #11 on: Oct 18, 2016, 05:57 PM »
Hey, vode! Thank you all so much for your encouragement... It's great to have an online group I can show my progress too, since I haven't been able to make any of the local armor parties, yet.

I went back up home this weekend (hence missing an armor party...) but while I was there I rifled through the fabric stash that lives under my worktable. Turns out I have a lot more black fabric that I originally thought, but not necessarily the types I was expecting...

If anyone (especially from the app team!) could steer me in the right direction, I'd be really grateful. I'm not sure if what I have on-hand already will work for my kit or not, and I'd like to know before I start cutting it up and making things.

Here's what I have at the moment:



A - Some heavy black denim which might work for my vest - the threads are not all one color, but I can probably dye it all black if need be. There's enough that I might also be able to get a kama out of it, if I do dye it (the back is lighter, obviously...) Would this work for the vest as-is, or is it too Earth-y?
B - Rubberized vinyl in dark gray - I'll be using this for my neckseal and edging my kama, though I have a whole lot of it.
C - A small amount of woven cotton something-or-other - $2 cut from Savers that I'll line/pattern my vest with.
D - A somewhat silky synthetic cut that will either be vest lining or kama lining? It's thin.
E - A large scrap of canvas - I originally meant to make my vest from this (or at least use it as interfacing) but I'm not sure I have enough to actually make the thing... We'll see once the pattern comes out!
F - A softer, drapier cotton weave that might end up being kama/vest/neckseal lining, since it wrinkles.
G - ~The Mystery Fabric~ This is the stuff I'm really wondering about... I'm considering making a kama from this since it's just the right size and color, and it falls nicely. I'm not sure what kind of cloth it is, but it's woven and opaque. It's not canvas, but it's stiff - broadcloth? Duckcloth? Not sure...

I've done a quick test with the "G" fabric - I just folded the corners so the top edge is the right width and pinned it. I'm going to edge it in the gray vinyl, and the final pattern will be more like two trapezoids than the rectangle I have here. (I had to pin a dart in the back so it would lay right... still ended up bunchy...) The fabric does need some ironing since it's been folded up all weekend and I just unpacked today. The belt I've got is just the first one I grabbed that would fit on my waist - it's NOT the final. The brown pouch, however, probably will be... It's also missing my ammo belt and waist sash so the kama's sitting a bit high. Also pictured; my finished flightsuit (ft. Gorilla Arms) and my boots!

 
(Oh look - my Illustration homework... :P)

What do you guys think? Is it good as is, or should I go with a heavier fabric? Should I line it to give it some more stability? I want it to be drapey enough to flow... Should I just give up and dye the denim instead? Please let me know! I don't wanna start and then end up trashing it. If I don't use that piece for the kama, I'll use the denim as an interlining on my vest and this as the outer fabric. Any and all suggestions would be super appreciated!

Vor'e!
 - Thel



Kris Jasra


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Re: Fabric Choices...?
« Reply #12 on: Oct 21, 2016, 02:11 PM »
Hey, vode! Thank you all so much for your encouragement... It's great to have an online group I can show my progress too, since I haven't been able to make any of the local armor parties, yet.

I went back up home this weekend (hence missing an armor party...) but while I was there I rifled through the fabric stash that lives under my worktable. Turns out I have a lot more black fabric that I originally thought, but not necessarily the types I was expecting...

If anyone (especially from the app team!) could steer me in the right direction, I'd be really grateful. I'm not sure if what I have on-hand already will work for my kit or not, and I'd like to know before I start cutting it up and making things.

Here's what I have at the moment:



A - Some heavy black denim which might work for my vest - the threads are not all one color, but I can probably dye it all black if need be. There's enough that I might also be able to get a kama out of it, if I do dye it (the back is lighter, obviously...) Would this work for the vest as-is, or is it too Earth-y?
B - Rubberized vinyl in dark gray - I'll be using this for my neckseal and edging my kama, though I have a whole lot of it.
C - A small amount of woven cotton something-or-other - $2 cut from Savers that I'll line/pattern my vest with.
D - A somewhat silky synthetic cut that will either be vest lining or kama lining? It's thin.
E - A large scrap of canvas - I originally meant to make my vest from this (or at least use it as interfacing) but I'm not sure I have enough to actually make the thing... We'll see once the pattern comes out!
F - A softer, drapier cotton weave that might end up being kama/vest/neckseal lining, since it wrinkles.
G - ~The Mystery Fabric~ This is the stuff I'm really wondering about... I'm considering making a kama from this since it's just the right size and color, and it falls nicely. I'm not sure what kind of cloth it is, but it's woven and opaque. It's not canvas, but it's stiff - broadcloth? Duckcloth? Not sure...

A - If it takes dye and you can get it a solid colour it will work well for the vest as it certainly is a sturdy material.
B - Not a vinyl fan, stick to edging and such, larger segments tend to really look plasticy, small strips can appear more like leather.
C - cottons a good liner.
D - silk or silky type fabrics are perfect for kama lining as they give a lovely shine and bit of bling when you move but is nowhere near overwhelming as it isn't constantly visible.
E - Good fallback is there's enough and A does not work out.
F - Also good fallbacks for if any of the others don't work out.
G - It looks to be falling well to me. Both lining and edging will help to keep the drape and add a little weight. From how it's folding and falling at the back it looks like a basic cotton-canvas mix to me, which I think is called duckcloth over in the US. Looks to have too tight and opaque a weave to be a linen mix.

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Thel Ihveen


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Re: Fabric Choices...?
« Reply #13 on: Oct 21, 2016, 03:37 PM »
A - If it takes dye and you can get it a solid colour it will work well for the vest as it certainly is a sturdy material.
B - Not a vinyl fan, stick to edging and such, larger segments tend to really look plasticy, small strips can appear more like leather.
C - cottons a good liner.
D - silk or silky type fabrics are perfect for kama lining as they give a lovely shine and bit of bling when you move but is nowhere near overwhelming as it isn't constantly visible.
E - Good fallback is there's enough and A does not work out.
F - Also good fallbacks for if any of the others don't work out.
G - It looks to be falling well to me. Both lining and edging will help to keep the drape and add a little weight. From how it's folding and falling at the back it looks like a basic cotton-canvas mix to me, which I think is called duckcloth over in the US. Looks to have too tight and opaque a weave to be a linen mix.

*Whew* Thank you so much for the reply! It's super helpful. I've been squinting at that kama fabric for the past couple days and just worrying about it... I may eventually upgrade to heavier fabric or a different pattern when I have the funds, but it's great that I already have something approvable on hand! :)

Also, using the shinier stuff for lining is a great idea - I do like a bit of bling... I'll have to see if I have a big enough piece, though, or else I'll widen the gray edging a bit on the underside to fill the gaps. I'll see if I can blacken the denim to use on the vest, too - I have some ink that's waterproof and very stain-y.

This weekend I'll hopefully whip up a kama and at least start on the spats. I'll need a tape cast before I tackle the vest, I think...

Thel Ihveen


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Update Time...
« Reply #14 on: Nov 02, 2016, 12:41 PM »
Hi, vode! I've been a little off the ball lately with keeping logs, but I've been making progress!

Two weekends ago I spent an absurd amount of time working on my soft parts... No pictures, yet, but I finished my kama and got a whole lot of other stuff going.

For my kama, I ended up doubling up the fabrics I had and then doing some creative cutting. I started with two rectangles and wanted to end up with two trapezoids. My first idea was to just cut off the extra to shape them, but sometime late at night I was embued with the Magical Power of Algebra, and after some measurements cut the things in half diagonally and rotated the sides. (Remember, ad'ike - pay attention in math class! You may need to draft a kama pattern someday...) The end result uses every last scrap of fabric and creates maximum kama.The end result is lovely and swingy and edged with some gray vinyl, giving it some stiffness and weight and also creating a cool transition between the kama and flightsuit.

My spats turned out... kinda crazy. There were seams all over the coat I was using, but I managed to line them up and make it all work. Still waiting on the straps to hold it all together - I have some small d-rings I'll be using instead of buckles.

As for the flightsuit - I took in the lower legs (again) because of the bunching fabric under my spats. Now they're like skinny jeans from the knee down. I also hand-stitched and orange stripe down the whole sides of the suit, and I'm thinking of eventually adding more on the longer under-sleeve, even though most of it will be covered by gauntlets. With the kama, thigh holsters and spats/half-chaps, the leg stripe is a little obscured, but as soon as I'm moving it'll start showing in flashes as my kama swings. bringing it up the side of the body will hopefully let it show under the open-sided vest, too.

Speaking of vest; I've decided I'd like to try my hand at making it in leather. My machine did topstitching and curves and the like wonderfully on the spats, and the back of the coat has some fun seams I could use. Since I've got a ton left over, I'd rather use the leather for the vest and buy more duck cloth later if that gets too hot during summer months. Since I'll be using velcro to attach my plates, switching vest should be no problem... It also helps that I have a shiny new dummy to test plate sizes and draft my vest on! On Sunday, Shevla (who came down for Halloween weekend) was kind enough to help me make mine, as well as standing still while I covered him in tape. Hopefully the two of us will be able to do some pattern-making soon!

Last but not least, I picked up some good accessories over the weekend. I found some comfortable gray leather gloves for $10 that are formal-looking but rugged, and they're tight enough on my man-hands that they'll work under the black gloves. They're also lady-cut, meaning my fingers will fit in my brand new Westar 34! :) I picked two up for naught but $5 each at the after-Halloween sale. I was bummed the store didn't sell liquid latex, but snagged the two blasters and am giving one to Shevla. I've already sanded, cut and cleaned up one, and I'm very proud of it. It's the Rubie's costume version that makes all manner of awful toy-gun sounds, but it's the right size for my hand/thigh and man, is it a pretty weapon. After a coat of paint and some scuffs (as well as filling some seams and maybe giving the thing some weight...) it'll fit wonderfully with the look of my kit. I am absurdly exited about the thing because it means I actually have some firepower, now!

Hopefully I take pictures tonight - I'm looking forward to finishing some of the leatherwork and starting on a holster...

Updated Beskar'gam Construction Total: $70

Yolah Hyperion


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Re: Thel's Mando Build WIP (so many pics)
« Reply #15 on: Nov 02, 2016, 02:53 PM »
Pics of the kama or it didn't happen  :P Just kidding vod

Algebra.. that's a dish of some sort right??

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"Mandalorians don't make threats. We make promises."
Mandalore the Preserver

"I have poured blood, sweat, manly tears, months and years, and quite possibly my mortal soul into this armor. Treat it like it is the last child on earth."
-Svik Katora

Thel Ihveen


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A Riveting Update...
« Reply #16 on: Nov 15, 2016, 01:29 AM »
Pics of the kama or it didn't happen  :P Just kidding vod

Algebra.. that's a dish of some sort right??

Haha! Yeah - a standard internet request!  :laugh: As promised: pics! The kama exists! In need of a good ironing, but I'm gonna torch the thing, anyways, and maybe run over it with a truck...



It's pretty big - hits me mid-calf and actually takes up the entirety of my narrow little dorm-floor... You can see one of my dirty hobbit-feet in one corner if you look hard enough. :P I would model it, but the picture-taking wall is currently occupied by a pile of leather and sewing stuff, so I'll probably wait till after I have my vest ready...

Speaking of which! Vest! I started with $2 worth of random black lining fabric, and my lovely duct-tape assistant (dubbed "Ni'ka" for clarity...) whom I finally filled up with newspapers and wrestled into my flightsuit... I started pinning the lines of the seams how I wanted them, pinching fabric as I went...




I'm doing some tricky tailoring and giving the whole thing a nice triangle shape - this was before adding some extra fabric to the sides...

Then, it was on to cutting, evening-out and sewing the princess seams! I only did half the vest because I wanted to keep one half of the pattern free to use to trace things with...



Here are some poorly-drawn plates! I was trying to figure out how much "side" to give it, and how far out he shoulder seams should be... Excuse the incorrect angles on the sides, though. It was just fun to imagine plates on the thing, even if they are the wrong shape!

Then, I had to take the whole thing apart and trace it onto what was left of that big leather trenchcoat... Again, please excuse the fabric-pile/dorm mess... it literally took up my whole floorspace.



You may be asking "where did the rest of the coat go, though?" and the answer is these bad boys:



The straps aren't trimmed down, yet, and the bottoms still need hemming/d-rings/rivets, but they're like 80% done after a day pounding rivets using nothing but two ball-peen hammers and my knees (yes, they are called that...). The d-rings are super flashy and make em look kinda... medieval? Not sure how I like the look... They go over my knees, though, and fit great. I had to match the top-stitching on the seams that came already on the coat - hence the V-shaped seams on the fronts and backs of the legs. I actually had to do all kinds of fabric wizardry to make the seams line up, but it all paid off!

However, this morning I woke, half-asleep, with a very strong and important thought: NO MORE D-RINGS. It was as if some deceased jetii was trying to tell me something; I couldn't get back to sleep after that. I'm thinking of just velcro-ing or elastic-ing the things and doing away with the complicated fastenings altogether... Not sure, yet!

Anyway - after I cut and assembled (and painstakingly topstitched...) the vest bits, the whole thing ended up looking pretty good!





It still needs, well almost everything; hems, neck facing, and proper side-closures, among other things. It looks kinda blocky at the moment due to all the extra fabric on the sides - it's overlapping now (just pinned to poor Ni'ka) but after I figure out the closures the whole thing will be much tighter. I'm going to do nylon webbing and buckles, but I left my buckles back in Vermont, so I may have to wait until Thanksgiving to get them back... I also need to grab a zipper for the neck while I'm there (again - have it in the sewing hoard, but not on-hand) and then I'll be ready for plates!

Oh - and during a late-night foray to a local craft store, I picked up some wonderful spikes for my gloves and the backs of my boots! Call it $5... I may have to buy my over-gloves, much to my dismay - I used most of the leather on spats/vest, and will have to go scrap-hunting to find the right pieces for gloves... Oh well. Can't win 'em all...

Total Beskar'gam Credit Expenditure: $75

Thel Ihveen


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Re: Thel's Mando Build WIP (so many pics)
« Reply #17 on: Nov 20, 2016, 04:34 PM »
Hey, vode!

I'm headed back to my native craft cave this week, and will be picking up fastenings/buckles/possibly some poster board for armor templates... But I'm concerned about the spats and whether or not they're gonna work. I'll swing by a craft store, probably, and might get some heavy-duty snaps. I figured I'd ask anyone reading this for their opinion...

Do you think the spats work with the d-rings? Or should I clip them off and go for elastic/velcro or snaps? I don't think I've seen many spats with visible fastenings, since they're less Star Wars-y and more plain ol' functional... I'm honestly not sure how to move forward with them at this point...

Thanks!

- Thel

Bowfanny


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Re: Thel's Mando Build WIP (so many pics)
« Reply #18 on: Nov 21, 2016, 02:38 AM »
If you do the double d rings with the leather strap or nylon strap that's perfectly fine. My original spats that i was approved with had 4 straps and buckles to keep them on. Those spats have been traded around my clan and are in the next clan over from a co-op clan troop we did so they work great.

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Thel Ihveen


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Re: Thel's Mando Build WIP (so many pics)
« Reply #19 on: Nov 22, 2016, 11:45 AM »
If you do the double d rings with the leather strap or nylon strap that's perfectly fine. My original spats that i was approved with had 4 straps and buckles to keep them on. Those spats have been traded around my clan and are in the next clan over from a co-op clan troop we did so they work great.

Thank you! That's good to hear - I'll just finish the bottoms and they're done! I was real worried for a sec that they just wouldn't work visually... I'm glad other people are using strapped spats, too!

Rohm Iy'Kadaysh


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Re: Thel's Mando Build WIP (so many pics)
« Reply #20 on: Nov 22, 2016, 01:07 PM »
Loving how the vest came out. Great lines!!! Has a lot of character to it. I'm happy with mine at the moment, but it was my first crack at it. So there is a lot of noticeable "learning" that can be seen in the finished product. Your vest is definitely motivating to give another pass at it.

Bookmarked and looking forward to following. OYA VOD!

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Thel Ihveen


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Re: Thel's Mando Build WIP (so many pics)
« Reply #21 on: Dec 04, 2016, 12:29 AM »
Loving how the vest came out. Great lines!!! Has a lot of character to it. I'm happy with mine at the moment, but it was my first crack at it. So there is a lot of noticeable "learning" that can be seen in the finished product. Your vest is definitely motivating to give another pass at it.

Bookmarked and looking forward to following. OYA VOD!

Thank you so much! I just checked out your WIP thread and - wow! Guess we both did black leather with buckles, huh? :) I'm glad it's motivated you - your kit is coming along great! I like how you made your chest plates, especially, and your sash turned out amazing. Gotta find me some nice drapey fabric like that...

And, without further ado... Some pics of how mine finally came out!

Today I had a friend over and we both worked on projects and chatted... I'm heading north again and did NOT want to schlep my sewing machine, so I took pretty much all of today and finished both my spats and my vest. Tackled spats first and well... Things went not quite how I'd expected. I'd collected some D-rings for the bottoms, and also bought a whole lotta O-rings, and it turns out the boots I have are too short to really work with any kind of harness.

I realize now that in my original drawings, I thought I'd be working with my workboots, not the shorter ones I have, now... I ended up just sewing the bands that run under the boot right to the spats themselves, then doing a separate band with the spikes and riveting that to the rest of the main piece. I'm definitely going to have to put some glue on the threading for the spikes - they look awesome, but the leather they're mounted on is thick enough that they get knocked off easily - I've already lost one somewhere in my room and had to replace the thing. I'm also hoping to find a better solution to the tiny rivet at the ankle... More rivets? Thin the band? Not sure, but it works for now. My only other grievance with them is that they keep falling down - I'll hunt for some fusible interfacing to hopefully stiffen them up!

After the spats were done, gawked at, and bounced around in, I finished up my vest. First, I tackled the zipper; I somehow defied all logic and sewed a very invisible zipper using a regular zipper and a regular machine foot. It's like bees - something that really shouldn't work, and maybe sounds like a dumb idea, but somehow... happens anyway? This zipper was like that.

After much putting-on and taking-off, I managed to finagle a reasonable gap to accommodate the buckles I got! (They were like $3 and look suitably strange and futuristic... They aren't just plain) I'd initially intended to use the 1" nylon webbing I had kicking around and have a large gap with adjustable straps, but when I found the perfect buckles... They turn out to be 2cm. I scoured the rest of Hobby Lobby looking for 2cm strapping, but they only had 1", and the 1" buckles they had were awful and opened from the top not the sides...

I considered cutting the strapping down by the required 0.54cm, but I'd have to melt the edges. ALL the edges. And I didn't wanna risk getting kicked from my dorm... At the last possible second, I realized I had black elastic that looked just like the webbing and was the right width! After some fiddling around and much chalking (and my assistant holding the vest straight while I clipped) I finally took a risk and just... Sewed them on. No adjusters - the elastic lets the vest shift when I move, but looks like regular strapping. I guess I got lucky - after eyeballing literally everything, I clip on the vest... It fits perfectly.

Of course, my friend and I had to go out into the hall in my building and take some pictures! Special thanks to Mikaela for using her nice phone to get some good shots! Pardon my face... Also the makeshift stand-in sash has returned - it's NOT the final, just there for effect because I wanted to see how the vest hit...




Here's a good shot of the striping, plus you can see the gapping from where the thin spat leather is wrinkling... It's great for vests, not so much for boots...


Aaaand my personal favorite; A 3/4 view where I show off the buckles on the sides, but also look regal as heck.

Anyway - that's what I got, and I'll be dragging it all north again to (hopefully) meet up with the locals and see if I can hunt down some sintra...

Running Armor Expenditure;
Buckles were $3 and O-rings... I forget, but I ended up not using them at all, and will probably use them for something, I'm sure... Not gonna count them as an armor expense yet, though. Call it $78...

Havelock


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Re: Thel's Mando Build WIP (so many pics)
« Reply #22 on: Dec 05, 2016, 01:24 AM »
I'm envious of your tailoring skills. Mad props!  I can sew a button back on.  heh (My wife hasn't taught me to use her sewing machine yet)  You're off to an amazing start!  And I absolutely love your kama.  Well done, vod.

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Thel Ihveen


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Starting My Helmet
« Reply #23 on: Dec 15, 2016, 04:56 PM »
I'm envious of your tailoring skills. Mad props!  I can sew a button back on.  heh (My wife hasn't taught me to use her sewing machine yet)  You're off to an amazing start!  And I absolutely love your kama.  Well done, vod.

Thanks, vod! Glad you like it! :)

I'm actually super excited to start the next part of my kit - the helmet and armor! I'm keeping the armor plates on this thread, but my helmet is gonna be the trickiest part and I'd really like some specific feedback. I've got a helmet WIP thread started if you guys wanna check it out! I'm doing cardboard templates right now, and will check sizing when my other plate templates are put together.

I went out on Monday to get some interfacing for my spats and some fabric for my sash. I ended up with some unbleached cotton gauze with a pretty tight weave. No pictures yet - gotta dye the stuff - but it's heavy and drapes nicely, while having a fun texture as well. I almost went with a light knit, but at the lest second I found the gauze stuff and had to have it!

More updates soon when I finish paper templates and sizing, hopefully...

Bike helmet: $10
Fabric total: $24
Grand running total: $112 (yikes)
The gleeful look on my dad's face when I ask to use his old autobody tools for a Star Wars costume: Absolutely priceless.

UPDATE 12/16:

So last night after seeing Rogue One (aww yeah) I got home late and managed to photograph how my plates are going... So far I only have the chest and shoulders done - I'm gonna do back plates, boots, gauntlet bases and elbows/knees next - but I'm very excited to show it off! I originally printed WOF's 5'9" plates (I'm 5'10"-ish) but they ended up being too big, so I had to try the 5'6" plates (which still needed modification). I guess I'm just incredibly narrow for a guy. :P

The chest plates are being... difficult, but hopefully they're the right width...? After one round of pictures (the lightly-modified template) I I decided that the plates were just too wide, so I narrowed them a little and then re-made the ab plate to keep that triangular shape going...

The Old:


(My parents are kinda freaked out by the dummy I've set up in the living room... They're calling it "Bob Fett" and my dad is still delighted...)

The New:


The shoulders are a little weird in paper because it doesn't hold a curve, but I'm pleased with them and how they balance out the helmet. They're kinda big, but that's the kind of absurd look I'm going for, anyway.

I also made my knees, gauntlet pattern, and boot-plate pattern. In the end, I decided that elbows would interfere with the gauntlets, and I can mount the knees right to my boots because of where they hit. I might make elbows later... not sure. I did, however, make the back plates! Again - they're strange now because the cardboard doesn't hold its shape like plastic will, but I'm pleased with them! A little more than 2/3 coverage! I also made a minor tweak to the helmet by moving the earcaps up. (Also pardon my messy wall...)



That's hopefully all the work I'm doing on it today... What do you guys think of the plates? The wider or the narrower? (I can print another set of the wide ones very easily...) Also hoping my helmet checks out, scale-wise!

Thanks for all the help!
   - Thel
 

« Last Edit: Dec 16, 2016, 03:59 PM by Thel Ihveen » Logged

Bariikas Talgal


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Re: Thel's Mando Build WIP (so many pics)
« Reply #24 on: Dec 16, 2016, 08:42 AM »
That's some fine work right there! Wish my soft parts were that good!! But alas, i'm still learning how to sow a piece of nylon and elastic together :P I definitely like the look you've got going on, and the method of building the soft parts before adding the plates! I'll have to keep that in mind when I do my next kit.

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